first law
noun
: the most important principle
He teaches his students that balance is the first law of architecture.
Examples of first law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Global online forum Reddit on Friday filed a court challenge to Australia’s world-first law that bans Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on the world’s most popular social media platforms.
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ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Utah enacted the first law, last May, supporting plug-in solar, and now some 30 pieces of similar legislation have been introduced around the United States.
—Jeff Brady, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
Long Beach passed the first law in the state in June, creating staffing standards for self-checkout lanes in grocery and drug stores.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Arguing about snow in subfreezing temperatures can remind you of the first law of thermodynamics—that snow can’t be created or destroyed.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first law
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ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Utah enacted the first law, last May, supporting plug-in solar, and now some 30 pieces of similar legislation have been introduced around the United States.
—Jeff Brady, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
Long Beach passed the first law in the state in June, creating staffing standards for self-checkout lanes in grocery and drug stores.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
Arguing about snow in subfreezing temperatures can remind you of the first law of thermodynamics—that snow can’t be created or destroyed.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first law
Cite this Entry
“First law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20law. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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